This application is related to application, Ser. No. 09/406,690, filed Sep. 27, 1999 and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,885.
The present invention relates generally to the field of lottery tickets.
Lottery tickets are well known and widely sold and typically comprise a sheet material of paper or card stock on which is printed lottery information and various indicia for the playing of one or more games. Many such games are instant win type games where the player can play the game or games by carrying out various functions. These include a first type of ticket which involves removing a scratch-off layer for scratch-off tickets. A second type of ticket involves opening pull tabs windows for what are known as break-open tickets. Such tickets are also known variously as pull-tabs, pickle cards, jar tickets, hard cards and charitable gaming tickets. Typically, these two distinct types of lottery tickets are targeted to different markets.
The break-open ticket is typically manufactured in a process which involves firstly printing using a printing press a full sheet which thus defines a set of the tickets in rows and columns which is laminated to a similar sheet of top sheet portions. The laminated sheets then must be cut in a mechanical cutting station into the individual ticket portions. The tickets thus formed are limited to the symbol combinations printed in the set. Also bar codes which are individual to specific tickets cannot be included with this process since there are many identical tickets and the bar code is thus not unique. This leads generally to a reduced level of security for break-opens generally thus limiting the prize value which can be provided.
This technique also limits the flexibility of the construction and therefore break opens tend to be relatively simple.
As shown in published PCT International application No. WO 98/57715 published Dec. 23rd 1998 of the present applicants there is provided a pouched lottery ticket which is supplied in a fan folded continuous strip arrangement for separating each ticket from the next at a dispensing station. The disclosure of this publication is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,857 (Koza) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,899 (Greenwood) each disclose a combined ticket construction in which a second layer is applied or folded over the basic ticket to improve security. U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,284 discloses a break-open ticket with a second level of break-open. U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,258 (Sanderson) discloses a two sided break-open ticket where the windows are arranged back to back opening onto a single center sheet carrying the game data.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved lottery ticket construction.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a lottery ticket assembly comprising:
a first ticket portion formed by a substantially flat substrate sheet material having a front surface having first lottery game indicia printed thereon, said lottery game indicia being covered with a scratch-off layer and a rear surface having second lottery game indicia printed thereon; and
a second ticket portion formed by a substantially flat substrate sheet material having a rear surface and a front surface,
the rear surface of the first ticket portion connected to the rear surface of the second ticket portion for forming the lottery ticket, said second ticket portion having at least one openable window therein arranged at a location aligned with the second lottery game indicia on the rear surface of the first ticket portion, such that opening of the openable windows allows the lottery indicia on the rear surface of the first ticket portion to be viewed.
Preferably the first and/or second lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing.
Preferably the first and/or second lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing onto a white lily pad.
Preferably the first and/or second lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing using two or more colors.
Preferably the second lottery game indicia on the rear surface of the first ticket portion includes a bar code having a machine and/or human readable portion for validating the lottery ticket.
Preferably the first lottery game indicia on the front surface of the first ticket portion includes a bar code having a machine and/or human readable portion for validating the lottery ticket.
Preferably there is provided a row of the tickets, each having a row of perforations dividing each from the next for separation of the tickets for dispensing.
Preferably the lottery tickets are fan folded along each junction with the fold at the front edge of each lottery ticket being in a direction opposite to the fold at the rear edge of each lottery ticket so that the lottery tickets lie each on top of and parallel to the next.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of preparing a lottery ticket comprising:
providing a first continuous substrate sheet material in a first strip having a front surface and a rear surface;
providing a second continuous substrate sheet material in a second strip having a front surface and a rear surface;
printing promotional graphics onto said front surface of each of the first and second strips;
printing first lottery game indicia onto said front surface of said first strip;
printing second lottery game indicia onto said rear surface of said first strip;
connecting the rear surface of the first strip to the rear surface of the second strip to form a row of connected tickets;
providing between each ticket and the next a line of weakness for separation of each ticket from the next;
and providing a plurality of openable windows on the second strip at each ticket for exposing the second lottery game indicia on the rear surface of the first strip
Preferably the first and/or the second lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing.
Preferably the first and/or second lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing onto a white lily pad.
Preferably the first and/or second lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing using two or more colors.
Preferably the sheet forming the first ticket portion and the sheet forming the second ticket portion have side edges and the first ticket portion and the second ticket portion are connected along said side edges.
Preferably the method includes connecting the sheet forming the first ticket portion and the sheet forming the second ticket portion with an adhesive.
Preferably the lottery tickets are fan folded along each junction with the fold at the front edge of each lottery ticket construction being in a direction opposite to the fold at the rear edge of each lottery ticket construction so that the lottery ticket constructions lie each on top of and parallel to the next.